the Heroine and the Anti Hero
by Liberty Roth
Summary: XGent. When Red X infiltrates the Titans Tower, Argent helps him out against her better judgment. But Robin finds out that she helped him and the consequences settle onto her shoulders.


I think it's pretty safe to say that you can blame mistressmarionette for this story. Red X and Argent make… a pretty good couple, I think.

This is my first time writing as both Argent and Red X. I took liberties with both, since we haven't seen very much of either of them and frankly… I have no idea what kind of personalities they have. :-/

Criticism is welcome, especially if you have experience writing about these two.

* * *

After fighting the battle against the Brotherhood, Titans Tower had cleared out unusually fast. Argent guessed that heroes had to get back to their own cities, otherwise pure chaos would ensue. Her city had been pretty sleepy after she had put a couple of super villains behind bars, so she was currently staying in one of the Tower's guestrooms.

Being in Jump City was by no means a vacation from crime fighting, however. Today she had been called away to give some eyewitness accounts at a police station. _I'm the one who put these men behind bars… they attacked me. Do I really need to be a witness, too?_ she couldn't help but think as she started the long process of gaining access to the large tower. Fingerprints, voice identification, guest pass, etc. She wondered how they got into the tower in an emergency. Probably not in a timely fashion.

To her surprise, as the teenager entered the Tower, she found it empty. At first she was suspicious, but after she checked the video surveillance (like Raven had taught her how to) she learned the reason for the Tower's abandonment. Her deep maroon eyes watched as Robin entered the common room, yelling something at the Titans who were lounging about. Pretty soon they all followed him out of the room to head to where the emergency was happening. As she checked the time on the video, she learned they had only been gone about seven minutes.

_I just missed them by a little bit… _she thought as she headed towards the kitchen for a bite to eat. Argent hadn't had any food since breakfast. That had been a long time ago; it turned out being a witness took about three hours. Unnecessary, in her eyes.

Crouching behind the island to fetch a pan that was below the sink, she heard the swish of the door to the common room opening. Argent stood, expecting to see one of the Titans there. Instead, it was a man with a skull mask on. Across his forehead were two brilliant red slashes that formed a _x _that matched the one on his chest.

"Who are you?" she asked cautiously, setting the pan onto the counter. Warily, her hands glowed red as an oversized axe formed before her.

The man (if he was a man at all) looked surprised to see her. Well. As surprised as a masked person could look. "I could ask you the same thing," he sounded amused. Oh, yes, it was definitely a he. "I thought all the teens evacuated to go check out my tip off."

She blinked. "_Your _tip off?" she echoed. The axe disappeared, her hands going back to their normal hue. "So you're a hero, then."

"No, not anymore," he chuckled underneath his mask as if it was a big joke, heading towards the counter. The red axe reappeared, her face setting into a defensive expression.

"So you are a villain," Argent accused.

He shrugged underneath his cape, leaning against the counter. "I prefer 'anti-hero,' actually. Any association I have with criminals or villains is just so I can get some money. I'd help heroes, but it turns out they expect me to act out of the kindness of my heart. Also, you're all annoying goody two-shoes."

Her scowl grew deeper. "As opposed to anti-heroes who just break into people's homes."

"It's not _your_ home."

"I'm living here." Argent replied curtly.

"But you're going back home soon." It wasn't a question. He knew.

"How did you know?"

The masked man chuckled darkly again. "There's only one guestroom that's occupied. All your things are packed up. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out, kid."

"I'm not a child, so don't call me _kid_. Besides, you're the one who's wearing a mask. For all I know, you could be some kidwho's breaking into the Tower to nick some souvenirs for his middle school friends to gawk over."

He was unimpressed by her accusations. "Please. I'm not looking for souvenirs… I'm looking for the evidence room. I've heard it's where Bird Boy's keeping some serious cash that he picked up off of some second-rate criminals. Until it's owner is found… I'll be happy to take it off of your hands."

"You seem to think that I'm just going to let you waltz up to that room," Now it was _her _turn to sound amused.

He shrugged, pointing to his belt that was loaded with all sorts of hi-tech goodies. "I've beaten all five Titans at once. I really don't want to render you unconscious and hurt your cute face, so could you just point me in the right direction, Red?"

"What do you need the money for? I thought you have your criminal contacts." Argent asked, her eyebrows raising.

"They're not too happy about me helping every other criminal in this city. For some reason they think my help has gotta be exclusive or something."

"So _what do you need the money for_?"

"I have to take the bus," he said flatly. "What does it matter? Just tell me how the hell to get to the right room. This place is a maze and I really don't want to walk around here for half an hour while the merry little heroes might come barging back in any minute."

"Merry little heroes," she scoffed. "That's what you think we are?"

"No, I think you're truly grand and wondrous people. _Yes_, that's what I think you are. So, listen, Red, am I going to have you take you down or are you going to humor me?" he demanded impatiently. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you're not my enemy… yet. Just cooperate. Jesus. I'm getting the money one way or another. It just depends on whether you're unconscious when I take it or not."

She considered this. It was true. She really did not want any cracked ribs or for the Tower to be torn apart and in a complete mess from the fight she knew they were bound to have if she refused. They could always recover the money, later. Or she could replace it once she went back home and gained access to her bank account again.

"… Alright. Come on. Red."

He wasn't sure if she was scoffing at his nickname for her or if she was making her own nickname for him. "Don't shorten my name into some sissy excuse for an alter ego. It's Red X or nothing." The masked man, now identified as Red X, followed her into the hallway passages.

Almost immediately she made a right turn, pushing a button on the wall. It lit up and pretty soon there was a dinging noise. "You started it by calling _me _Red," she pointed out, stepping into the elevator.

He seemed edgy as he stepped into the close space with her. When was the last time he had been this close to a girl and not attacking her? Oh, yeah, right. Yesterday. He wasn't a stranger when it came to girls; when he was in his civilian clothes they all seemed to migrate towards him.

"Nervous?" she asked, sounding amused again. He wanted to wipe the smirk off of her face.

"Look, kid, I can _teleport. _Nothing makes me nervous. Especially not Goth chicks."

She scowled as she pressed a button on the elevator. All of their elevator buttons were unmarked, Red X noticed. How stupid. "I already told you, I am _not _a child. Besides, only people who are old enough to be my parents could call me a kid."

"So what makes you think I'm not old enough to be your dad?"

She studied him. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but… he definitely wasn't much older than she was. Argent could tell he wasn't old, even if he was wearing a mask. "The youthful spring in your step,"

He snorted, rolling his eyes at her sarcastic comment. "So what am I supposed to call you? I only have files on the main Titans. Not Honorary Ones from… wherever you're from."

The elevator doors opened suddenly. He was surprised. He hadn't even felt it move. He wasn't sure if they had gone up or down.

"My name is Argent." She said simply, stepping out of the elevator and into a corridor that looked exactly the same as the one they had just left.

He blinked. "Argent?"

"Yes."

"That make _no_ sense. Your powers are _red_. Why are you named after something _silver_?" Red X wondered aloud, sounding amused again.

She, however, was not amused. "We can't all have blatantly obvious names like _Red X._ I like to have a little mystery to me, alright?"

Argent imagined him grinning behind his mask as he paused. "You're smart." He decided. She _was_ smart. Witty. He liked it. She wasn't predictable like those other half-wit excuses for heroes.

"No," she amended, turning sharply to the left. "I am tough."

"Why?"

"Why am I tough?" she asked, looking surprised as she turned right.

"No, why are you – " he started sarcastically, but then broke off. "Yes. Why are you so tough?" _And how can a tower shaped like a T have this many turns in it?_

"I had a tough life. I had to be a tough girl." Argent said simply, pausing to punch some numbers into a keypad on the wall. A door slid open, revealing another corridor.

"How the hell does this place – " he hissed under his breath, but then stopped. "What do you mean, you had a tough life? I thought you were a spoiled brat."

She rolled her eyes, glancing over at him. "And _I _thought that you did not have any files on me."

"Don't flatter yourself. You had a family portrait in your packed bag. I could see the house in the background and the matching sweater vests. The only thing missing was a pony."

Argent bit her lip. "Oatsie was sick that day." Aware of the way the blank eyes of his mask stared at her, she rolled her dark red eyes. "I'm joking. I didn't have a _pony_. You went through my bag. Why?"

"I never claimed to be a hero. I was looking for loose cash. You didn't have much, so I didn't take it." Noticing her surprised look, he shrugged. "Even villains had moral standards. Minimal ones, but they're there."

"You said you used to be a hero, though. Anyone I should know?" she asked him quietly, stepping down a single step that was marked with yellow tape. "Watch your step."

"I doubt it. I was a second-rate nobody." He sounded rather bitter about it. Her instincts told her to say something. Even if he was a vill – no, wait. Anti-hero. It was different, somehow.

"I'm sorry."

"Really? I'm not. People actually respect me now. I had to get a bigger mask and more dangerous toys, but hey. It's a step up from where I used to be." He sounded a bit happier now, shrugging. "Are you leading me into a trap?"

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow at the sudden question. "What?"

"You've been leading me around in circles. We've passed the same room four times. Trying to stall until the Titans get back?"

Argent laughed at his paranoia. "No. You were talking."

He was about to say something back to her, but suddenly she stopped walking. A red sledgehammer formed before her and his reflexes made him grab some mini explosives from his belt. He held them between his fingers, prepared to throw them at her if she attacked him. _Please don't make me do it, Argent._

To his surprise, however, she promptly smashed the number pad that was outside of a room he could only guess was the evidence room. It fizzled for a moment, spouting some sparks before the doors slid open.

"Is that really all I'd have to do to break in?" he asked, tucking away the bombs like nothing had happened.

"You'd be surprised at how lax the security is on the inside. Once you're in the tower, you're in. The number pads are mostly for show. Like locks on a door. They add privacy when you live with people who don't want to smash into your room, but against a real thief they're pretty useless."

"Why did you smash it? Don't you have a security code?"

She nodded, leading the way into the evidence room. He looked at all the glass cases that held trophies of defeated villains that Robin held onto. "Of course I do. But you, Red X, do not." _Oh. She's framing me. Can't dirty her reputation. Heroes._

In one of the newer cases there was a large black bag that he assumed was full of the money. He didn't wait for her to smash it this time. He lifted the five-sided glass box away from the bag, discovering that it wasn't actually glass. It was Plexiglas. "Is this all of it?"

"Yes." She waited for him to heft it over his shoulder, before following him out of the room. "Before you go, I need your help for a moment." Argent motioned for him to follow her into the common room again.

"What are you going to tell the other teen wonders? I assume you have security cameras."

"Which is why you are going to come help me tip over this sofa, break the coffee table, and smash the security system. We had a fight. Remember?" She waited patiently for him to catch on. It didn't take long; he was a smart man.

"It will erase the video?"

"It should. Raven showed me how to handle it."

"What if it doesn't destroy it? Are you going to risk your shiny reputation, Red?" he mocked.

She shrugged. "I'll chance it."

"For some villain you don't even know," he added incredulously.

She smiled. "For an anti-hero I don't even know." Argent corrected.

"Right. You get the coffee table, I'll worry about the sofa." He muttered under his breath, going to their rounded couch. It didn't take much to turn the thing over. All he had to do was sit on the back of the couch and his weight tipped it over.

Argent's task was even easier. She was done before he was. Her powers formed what looked like a big axe and the coffee table was cleanly cut into two pieces.

He nodded towards the security system. "Do you want to – or will I?"

"I will. When it's destroyed it sounds an alarm that goes off in the Titan's communicators. They'll be back within minutes if they aren't already headed home."

"So basically, you're telling me to hit the road."

"Basically." She told him with a grin.

"Kicking me out already? And I had so much fun hanging around, too."

"Come back and visit," she said, only half-joking.

He shrugged. "I can't. The giant T clashes with my X. We're not fashionably compatible."

"Too bad."

"It really is."

* * *

When the Titans got back home, things went over surprisingly smooth. Lying to them had been pretty easy. They trusted her word. It was only later, when she was watching Cyborg and Beast Boy race each other (she was playing the winner even though she was horrible at the game) that Robin called her aside.

"Argent. We need to talk." It was his serious, no nonsense voice. He used it often. "Raven needs to show you something."

_Oh, no. _Ice caught her stomach. A feeling of suspicion came into her head. She had a hunch that she knew what he wanted to talk about. _I should have just attacked him. He never would have suspected it when he was mid-sentence. _But somehow… Argent knew she couldn't have attacked him after they had ended up talking for a good half-hour.

"When you come back, bring some chips!" Cyborg bellowed over his shoulder, clearly oblivious to the serious look on Robin face.

The elevator ride down to the basement was… tense, to say the least. She hadn't ever though there had been a more awkward moment in the history of the world. As they approached a corner of the basement, Argent could see Raven silhouetted against a glowing monitor.

_Oh, damn. _On the monitor was a black-and-white video of her and Red X, paused at the exact moment that she had smashed the number pad outside of the evidence room.

"It's not what it – "

"Not what it looks like?" suggested Robin. He sounded like he was having difficulty controlling his anger. "Because what it _looks _like is that you're leading a dangerous criminal right to a stash of _stolen _money without ever putting up a fight."

Raven silently pressed a button, so that the recovered video played quietly. Argent's dark eyes immediately sought the screen as it was spurred into motion. She had smiled. There was another smile, too, a while after that one.

"He was going to get the money one way or another. I thought I'd save him some time and save us some damage. And save myself some broken bones." She told the pair slowly. She had rehearsed this so many times in her head.

"If you were saving him time, why did you break the coffee table? And the security system?" Raven asked in her gravelly voice.

"And why did you wait until now to tell us?" Robin asked, impatient as always.

"I don't know." Argent answered honestly. "I'll replace the money. I'm going home soon. I'll pay you back once I get home."

He sighed through his nose. "It's not that easy."

"I think it could be."

"You can't stay here anymore." Raven said quietly, saying what Robin was unwilling to say so plainly.

She pursed her lips. "I hope you have some money. Because I don't have any money to get a hotel room."

"We have an apartment downtown that we use in emergencies in case our tower is damaged. You can stay there until you leave." The violet haired girl said.

"The next time you're in Jump City, you're welcome to stay here. You just have to replace the money before you can stay here." Robin told her quietly. "I'm sorry."

"I apologize, too. It was a mistake." Argent said with a small smile, to show there were no hard feelings. "You're just doing what you think is right."

_And giving the criminal money is what I thought was right. Because he's not a criminal. He's... anti-hero._


End file.
